Stephen Drew is a former professional baseball player who played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on March 16, 1983, in Hahira, Georgia, and grew up in a family of baseball players. His father, mother, and two brothers all played baseball at some level.
Drew attended Florida State University, where he played college baseball for the Seminoles. He was a standout player and was named the ACC Player of the Year in 2004. He was also a member of the United States national baseball team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Drew was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2004 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2006 and quickly established himself as a solid defensive player and a reliable hitter. He played for the Diamondbacks for six seasons, from 2006 to 2012, and was named to the All-Star team in 2008.
In 2012, Drew was traded to the Oakland Athletics, where he played for one season. He then signed a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox in 2013 and helped the team win the World Series that year. Drew played for the New York Yankees in 2014 and then returned to the Red Sox in 2015.
Drew's career took a downturn in 2016 when he signed a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals. He struggled at the plate and was eventually released by the team in August. He signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins in 2017 but was released before the start of the season.
Overall, Drew had a solid career in MLB. He played in 1,548 games over 12 seasons and had a career batting average of .252. He hit 124 home runs and drove in 529 runs. He was also a solid defensive player, with a career fielding percentage of .975.
Drew's career was not without controversy, however. In 2011, he suffered a gruesome ankle injury that kept him out of action for almost a year. He also drew criticism for his decision to hold out for a better contract in 2014, which led to him missing the first two months of the season.
Despite these setbacks, Drew will be remembered as a solid player who contributed to several successful teams over the course of his career.
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